Chapter 32: Chapter 29: “Kill Him”

CHAPTER 29: “KILL HIM NOW”

 

Ai couldn’t sleep as peaceful as he wanted to. Though the shadow beast did indeed feel comfortable, there was flesh he could lay his on after all and the mist surrounding it felt cool and refreshing. Still, he found himself unable to properly enjoy it, his mind racing with thought after thought about Nebule and Oceana.

A lover...it was a concept that was foreign yet not at the same time. Though he himself hadn’t really experienced what it felt like to fall in love or even have crushes, he’d seen and overheard so many experiences from other people in the real world. 

But none of it compared to the love that he’d seen Naela display. He didn’t know if real life humans could experience love that deep. The love that would make you sacrifice everything, even your own life.

Ai peeked once again at the sleeping harpy. She didn’t look like she was having a good sleep either, her brows were furrowed as she slept and she was curled in on herself as if she was protecting herself from danger. When she started to shake from presumably a nightmare, Ai took the time to reach out and brush over her quivering feathers. Naela calmed down a bit but not entirely, but it was still much better than before.

Once it seemed that she was back to a semi peaceful sleep, Ai returned to his own corner with his shadow pillow. He closed his eyes and let the sleep slowly take him away. He didn’t dream at all.

 

***

 

The day they decided to start out their plan, the waves were awfully turbulent. It didn’t warrant a tsunami warning or some sort, but the usually calm blue watery curls were much ragged and nervous.

Nameless, as the only siren, assured them that it wasn’t anything to worry about. Just one of those days where the waters had its ragged moments. Still, Ai couldn’t help but worry that it was Oceana’s moods affecting the state of the ocean. He didn’t know if sirens had that kind of power, but they were still children of the ocean who resonated with the waters.

Nameless departed alone through whatever route she used while Ai and Naela walked together, trying their best to look as natural and calm as possible. If Ai accompanied Naela it would look less suspicious since he had the blue shell that told whoever saw it that he was an envoy granted passage by their own Priestess Oceana, Naela would just look like Ai’s companion. Aside from that, two cloaked figures walking together would look even more suspicious.

As they got closer to the siren castle and its simplistic twisty towers, Naela’s features stiffened. She pursed her lips as her watchful eyes kept a close look on the front gate. Ai didn’t think that seeing where she used to be imprisoned was a good memory. He could see her feathers quivering in fear from the corner of his eyes.

Very gently, Ai brushed his hand over her back. If she had hands he would’ve gripped them tightly to show his support but for now all he could was give her this one encouragement. Flinching slightly, Naela glanced at Ai from the corner of her own eyes. Ai saw her swallow nervously before taking a deep breath. 

That was good, he needed her to be somewhat calm for the whole thing to fall through.

“For Nebule…” she muttered under her breath.

The guard at the front gate gave them a look. Cold and unrelenting.

With the melodious voice that all sirens had, the guard spoke firmly. “State your business here or leave.”

Ai wanted to chuckle. Though the guard acted all formal, he knew that they weren’t allowed to leave. Though Naela was wearing a cloak, he wasn’t. The guard could easily identify who she was just by looking at him. Even if he didn’t remember who he was, a white haired elf with an owl sitting on his shoulder, it wasn’t exactly an ordinary description of someone.

“We’re here to see Priestess Oceana.” Ai replied back, trying his best to not let his expressions betray his thoughts.

The guard glanced back and forth between the two of them. Not a moment after, he slowly stepped aside as the doors to the castle opened and Ai was once again greeted by the sight of the basic, untouched room with the ocean mosaic. As they walked past the guard, he could see him tightening his grip on his trident.

Quietly taking deep breaths, Ai and Naela approached the mosaic without looking back. He heard rustling and clanging sounds but didn’t worry himself with it. He just needed to follow through with the plan. He knew that there was a chance that it could end in failure, but he tried not to think about it. 

He glanced at his skills in the [Thought System]. He really didn’t get a chance to use them at all. Honestly, the whole experience at Oceanus barely felt like a game. He kept forgetting that single fact. He wondered why he was even feeling so scared and nervous right now. Both Naela and Nameless were just pixels yet the thought that one of them getting injured or killed from the plan agitated him greatly. 

Well, he thought as he stepped through the mosaic painting. It was just my nature at this point.

The hallway with the painted walls felt colder the second time he walked through them. The ocean creatures that were painted on felt as if they were watching him so closely, their beady eyes locked on to him even though they weren’t alive and were merely paintings. Naela seemed to feel something similar as she huddled closer to Ai as they walked further in the hall.

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The guard stayed close to them, their eyes were really the ones locked on to their figures while their hand gripped the trident tightly. Their gaze made it almost impossible for the two of them to escape or make a run for it as soon as they reached the other room with many pathways and other doorwars. They couldn’t split up since they didn’t know the exact layout and how they would meet again and the guard would also catch the two of them in an instant if they stayed together.

For now, the plan of action was merely to stay on course and hopefully reach wherever Oceana was, most likely the throne room.

The path towards the throne room was even more complicated than the previous tea room that Ai was in. It took many more twists and turns and another flight of stairs heading down before they reached a set of doors that looked particularly different than the doors upstairs.

It was definitely the fanciest doors in the entire castle. Blue, incredibly tall and looming with jewels and all sorts of fancy etchings attached to it. On either side of the doors were just as tall statues of the same female siren.

“They say that’s the original Oceana.” Naela whispered, her eyes fearfully looking at the statues while it stared back, its gaze cold.

The guard that had been closely walking behind them slammed the hilt of his trident hard to the ground. It was probably a signal of some sort because after that the giant doors slowly swung open. The room beyond the door was incredibly massive with a giant glass dome top. If the previous tea room was half underwater and half above, this room was completely submerged in water. Not a single piece of the sky was exposed unless it was through the glass dome and the sea water.

Outside, in the ocean, the view was stunning.

A landscape of coral reef. Colorful, bright and alive. Many different ocean creatures bustled about in and out of their homes, busy and crowded. Sunlight even filtered through the water surface, casting bright lights onto the living ecosystem. The blue expanse had Ai almost freezing on the spot. Such a beautiful view, he would never be able to see in real life.

“Enjoying the view, are we?” Oceana lazily said with an equally lazy smile.

The priestess was sat on the throne located at the far end of the room. The throne, contrasting to the colorful view outside, was pure white. It was placed on top of a stone platform with steps running down the front. Oceana’s right elbow was placed on the armrest of the throne, her cheek resting on her fist. In her other hand was a wine glass filled with a blue sparkling drink. She was dressed in a pure white dress today, the gown so long it reached under the steps of the platform. She looked almost angelic with the colorful coral reefs outside casting colorful shadows and light reflection onto her white dress and throne.

Almost angelic. Ai didn’t miss the almost murderous look on her face. She wasn’t happy. Not in the slightest.

Staring at the siren, Ai replied honestly to her question. “It’s beautiful.”

Oceana scoffed. “You flatter.”

Everything after happened fast. The priestess lifted her chin towards Ai and Naela, and the guards behind them didn’t waste a single moment before they kicked the back of their legs and pushed them to kneel on the ground. Though it didn’t hurt, the impact of the floor against his knees made him wince.

Ai froze as he attempted to get up, he felt the cold sting of the trident’s pointy tip as it pressed lightly against the back of his neck. Just a little bit more pressure and the sharp point would pierce his neck.

“Thank you for bringing my prisoner back, envoy.” Oceana stood from her seat and took a large gulp of her drink, finishing it in one swing. A maid quickly took her glass away and disappeared just as fast. Oceana glared deeply at the elf, her eyes filled with cold rage and the corner of her lips tilted just a little bit into a smug smile.

“Unfortunately, you have quite angered me and I am not a patient person.”

Besides him, another guard had taken a hold of Naela. The harpy struggled, flapping her wings around and swinging her claws to slash at the guard, but the hold against her proved to be much stronger. Ai’s eyes searched around but he saw no sight of his shadow beast.

“Take the harpy back to her dungeon. She must pay for her transgressions. As for the envoy…” 

This time Oceana didn’t even try to hide the satisfied smile on her lips. 

“Kill him now.”

 

 

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